A banner congratulating students, parents, teachers and the Sister Lakes community for their success in becoming a reward school hangs in Sister Lakes Elementary to remind students of their achievement throughout the school year. Provided Photo

Michigan’s Department of Education presented Sister Lakes, a Dowagiac Union school, with reward status in “Beating the Odds” for exceeding academic expectations determined by the state.

Principal Mike Campbell said the state predicts the test scores of schools based on their demographic makeup. According to the MDE website, Sister Lakes Elementary’s predicted top-to-bottom (TTB) ranking was 20, but the school scored a 60. TTB ratings rang from 1 to 99, with 99 being the best possible ranking.

Campbell was unaware of the exact demographic breakdown of the students at Sister Lake, but said 85 percent of students at Sister Lakes qualify for free and reduced lunch.

According to the website, 108 students were tested. Of the 108 students, 48 percent are considered part of a minority group, 83 percent are economically disadvantaged, 26 percent had disabilities and 26 percent had limited English proficiency.

“Sister Lakes was one of 347 schools granted this reward, out of 4,237 schools in the state,” Campbell said.

Campbell said students improved on reading and math MEAP scores, and that scores have been on an “upward swing” over the past several years.

“I’d like to congratulate the staff and students here at Sister Lakes for going above and beyond to ensure academic success for our students. We truly have grown to be like a family,” Campbell said.